During the past few years, supermarkets and other merchandisers have been increasingly utilizing plastic bags for packaging consumer products because of lower costs to the merchandiser. Many of these plastic bags include integrally formed loop handles which permit a user to carry the bag and its contents with ease and reliability by simply gripping the handles with one hand, as opposed to carrying the bag with an arm as is necessary with conventionally used handle-free kraft paper shopping bags. However, while these plastic bags may facilitate a reliable means for transporting goods, the bag loop handles have a tendency to bite into the customer's fingers causing discomfort, particularly when the bag must be carried over great distances and/or when the bag contents are excessively heavy. The same problem exists with old style paper shopping bags provided with handles.
Further, the plastic bags tend to collapse when placed on the floor, auto seat, or other surface, with the result that the contents frequently spill out.
Several attempts have been suggested to overcome these above discussed problems by utilizing hand grips of the attachable or removable type, which when applied to the plastic bag or other loop handles allows a user to grip the handles free from the discomfort usually associated with grabbing bare loop handles. Additionally, the hand-grips may maintain the bag in a closed position, especially when the bag is not being carried or when the bag is in a collapsed position on a floor or other surface.
Among the many various hand grips for use in conjunction with loop handles of carrying receptacles and plastic bags, there may be mentioned the U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,140 to Franges, which discloses a somewhat rigid hand-grip having a generally planar rectangular body including a centrally located widthwise preformed rounded region, and fastening means located on the opposing long sides of the body portions for securing the grip about rope loop handles. The preformed rounded region, when assembled to the rope loops, provides a rounded, non-sharp bottom carrying edge or surface. Due to their rounded edges or grip surface, these grips do not nest when packaged and therefore require excessive space during shipping to the merchandiser and storage in bulk before use. Furthermore, the hand-grip includes sharp lengthwise edges which may have a tendency to tear into the handle loops, thus breaking the loops and is that the bulk of these hand-grips require considerable material for their manufacture, which adds to their cost in production and shipping.
The U S. Pat. Nos. 2,717,411 to Taipale; 3,800,361 to Stauffer; 3,913,172 to Richards et al; 4,004,722 to Olivier; and 4,590,640 to Enersen all show hand-grips for use with loop handles of carrying receptacles, all of which generally provide a comfortable grip for users, as well as maintaining the receptacles in a closed position. However, these above-mentioned patents disclose relatively complex hand-grips which are generally expensive to manufacture. The hand-grips are also generally of the reusable type (non-disposable) and, when assembled to the loop handles, do not include fastening means to insure that the grips will not prematurely dislodge from the loops, particularly when the bag or receptacle is resting. The U.S. Pat. No. 3,072,944 to Mitchell discloses a cardboard type of hand-grip for use with loop handles, which is also not provided with fastening means; also see Carver U.S. Pat. No. 1,691,467.
The Herbert et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,519,186 shows a preformed, rigid and expensive shopping bag carrier. A similar device is shown in UK published patent application No. 2,135,179 A in the name of Machado et al. Neither of these devices has a closure fastener, and both are made of heavy material and are relatively difficult to form. These devices depend on the bulk and rigidity of the material from which they are made. Because they are preformed, at least to some extent, they are not only costly and difficult to manufacture, but are also very backward to store in large quantities as they are not nestible and take up much space in storage. Because of the large bulk of material, the shape and difficulty of manufacture, and the inability to store efficiently, these devices are far too expensive to be throw-away items.
Of particular interest is DE OS No. 33 47 410 A1 in the name of Muller. This patent depicts a hand grip which is preformed, and thus rather bulky to store, quite apart from the problem of pre-forming same. It is mentioned in the English language abstract that the device can have a "touch and close" fastening device, but no fastener of any type is illustrated.
Closure fasteners, of course, are well known per se. Attention is invited to Hubner U.S. Pat. No. 3,050,578; Laguerre U.S. Pat. No. 3,255,51; Pool U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,050; Merser U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,124; and Cisek et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,950. Clayton U.S. Pat. No. 3,633,247 discloses a strap closure; see especially FIG. 5. Stover U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,368 illustrates a thin card or label 10 formed of a stiff material such as cardstock for attachment to plants, and including a locking means.
There are now close to 30 billion plastic handled shopping bags sold in the U.S.A. each year, and the number is going up. These plastic handled shopping bags are apparently in great demand and greatly favored by merchandisers. However, the problems with these bags as outlined above are very real, and the need exists for a suitable hand grip to prevent the aforementioned problems, but such hand grip must be extremely inexpensive.
No throw-away hand-grip for use with loop handles of carrying receptacles has previously been available made from semi-rigid or flexible plastic materials which is very inexpensive to manufacture, includes quick and reliable detachable fastening means for attaching the grip to loop handles, and is provided with edges which will not tear into the loop handles. There is, moreover, a need for such an attachable throw-away hand-grip which can be delivered to and stored by merchandisers in great numbers without taking up substantial storage space. Furthermore, there is a need for a flexible attachable and detachable throw-away hand-grip for keeping the loop handles, when assembled to the hand grip, from movement within the grip, as well as for providing a smooth, rounded surface to permit a user to carry the receptacle with a single hand without discomfort.